BELLEVUE, WA.- Cut Up/Cut Out, curated by Bedford Gallery of Walnut Creek, CA, begins its national tour at Bellevue Arts Museum. The exhibition features cut and pierced artwork by more than 50 national and international artists. Using a variety of tools and methods, as well as materials from paper and plastic to metal and rubber, the artists of Cut Up/Cut Out explore the endless possibilities of cutting into and through their chosen surfaces. The transformative nature of this process creates extraordinary results, converting materials from opaque to transparent, from flat to sculptural, from rigid to delicate, and from ordinary to exquisite. The process and precision required for this method of art-making is laborious, technically demanding, and always astonishing.

The art of cutting paper dates back thousands of years, with early artworks coming from 6th century China. Originally a decorative handcraft for women, Chinese paper-cutting eventually expanded into rural areas, becoming a staple at religious ceremonies and festivals. By the 14th century, paper-cutting spread to the rest of the world, bringing in a new wave of folk art traditions. Cut Up/Cut Out honors both innovation and tradition with a selection of work representing diverse styles and techniques.